Packing or shipping case



Get. 31, 1933. R w KEMPF 1,932,550

PACKING OR SHIPPING CASE Filed Aug. 51. 1929 jfaraj'wrlzm e mm):

1-7. Ober-st.

Patented 061.31, 1933 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE,

1,932,550 PAOKINGQR SHIPPING CASE Karl F, w. Kempf, Buffalo, NrY. Application August 31, 1929. Serial No. 389,778

4 Claims. (01. 217-12) My invention relates to improvements inpack ing or shipping cases.

' Packing or shipping cases as now constructed cannot be conveniently used to reship goods. 5 This is oftentimes found desirable, particularly .when goods are received which are intended to be distributed to branch houses, either in the quantities received, or in smaller quantities in connection with other goods packed in the same case. Many concerns receive goods of various kinds from manufacturers and reship such goods to branches, distributors, or dealers in smaller quantities. A case havingbeen received with a definite quantity of a particular kind or type of goods can be partially emptied and other goods packed in the case to replacethe goods removed, and the case so filled reshipped; but either a new cover will be found necessary to make the case suitable for shipment, or, where a case has a hinged or other movable cover fastened to the body of the case by securing or tying devices, such as metallic bands, wires, or the like, new .bands or wires must be provided, and nails, staples, or like fastening devices driven into the walls of the case to secure the new .bands or wires in place. Such new bands or wires have to be placed adjacent the old, since the original securing or tying bands or wires ofthe case were placed, at points along the case which would assure greatest security and protection for the goods encased and withstand the rough treatment the case would be subjected to in transit.

A packing or shippingcase'of a kind in common use comprises end, bottom and side walls nailed or otherwise secured together, and a movable cover connected at one edge to the upper edge of one of the side walls by means of securing or tying wires fastened to the outer side of the cover, bottom, and side walls; opposite ends of the wires being free and extending, respectively, beyond the free edge of the cover and the edge of the opposite side wall. When a case so constructed is filled and the cover lowered in position, the free ends of said wires-are twisted together to secure thecover in closed. position; the encompassing wires otherwise serving to strengthen the walls of the case. When a case of this kind is received, it is necessary to shear or clip .the wires adjacent the twisted ends in order to gain access to the interior of .thec'ase; which renders them unfit for further use. Encompassing wires of this kind are usually fastened to the walls of the cases with staples, and since the cases are invariably constructed of hard wood, itis a dificult matter to remove the staples.

ment and combination of parts to be hereinafter Furthermore, owing to the number of staples used, it would be a tedious and expensive process.

In packing or shipping cases of this kind, the wires are always arranged at the ends of the case and. one or more spaced between the end 0 wires; this being found necessary to prevent collapse of the case during shipment, especially when large numbers of metallic objects are shipped in the case.

The primary object of my invention is the 5 provision, in a packing or shipping case of the kind mentioned, of encompassing securing elements having means at their ends enabling the case to, be used a number of times without the addition of new securing elements or parts.

. Another object of my invention is the provision of encompassing securing strands having a plurality of free ends adapted to be twisted together in pairs in succession for shipment and reshipment.

A still further object is to provide encompassing wires at spaced intervals along the case, said wires being usedin pairs and being fastened with staples along their lengths to the walls of the case, each staple serving to fasten the two wires of each pair to said walls; opposite ends of one wire being adapted to be twisted together after the ends of the other have been twisted together for shipment and after shipment have been sheared or otherwise severed from the secured portions of the wires.

With the above and other objects in view to appear hereinafter, my invention consists in the novel features of construction and in the arrangedescribed and more particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the drawing;-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shipping case, having my invention applied thereto in oneof the many ways in which it may be used.

Fig; 2 is a frontelevation of the case.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section, taken on line 3-3,Fig. 4. I

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of oneof the encompassing wires as it appears on the case after initial shipment and preparatory to reshipping the case.

My invention is shown applied to a knockdown shipping case now in common use; but it may be used on any other kind of casein which the encompassing securing or reinforcing wires would or could serve asa hinge for one of the walls of a case. I

The particular type of case shown in the drawing has the top or cover, the sides or front and rear walls, and the bottom wall flexibly connected so that one can be folded over another and the end walls, which are originally separate, placed between certain of the flexibly connected walls when folded, or placed upon the folded or over lying iiexibly-connected walls. Boxes so constructed are shipped in knock-down form to the original user, and when received are unfolded, so that the flexibly-connected walls are positioned at a right-angle, one with respect to anotheruor.

others; the end walls are then inserted between the front and rear walls and over the bottom, resting with three of their edges against said walls, to which they are nailed or otherwise secured so as to rigidly connect saidwalls and leave only the top as a flexibly connected walL which serves as a cover for the case;

These several walls are flexibly connectediwith wires which have their opposite ends free and extending, respectively, beyond the upper edge of the front wall and'the fr'eeedge of the cover. While-my invention is particularly adapted-for a knock down case of this kind, it may be used on any case having a wallloosely or movably arranged so access may be had to the interior of the case.

' Referring now to the drawing in detail, 5 designates the end walls of the case, 6 and? the side walls, or what may be termed thefront and rear walls, respectively, 8 the bottom wall, and 9 the top wall or cover.

With the exception of the top wall or cover, these walls are rigidly-secured together, and in the preferred form of my invention, illustrated in the drawing, a plurality of pairs of encompassing or surrounding securing or tying wires are fastened to all the walls of the case so one wire or" each pair lies in contact with the other.

The wires of each pair, are designated 10 and 11, respectively, and at spaced intervals, regularly or irregularly, they are fastened to the outer sides of all the walls of the case'by staples 12, each staple embracing both wires.

While the front and rear walls are rigidly fastened together by means of. the end walls, the encompassing wires reinforce and prevent collapse of these walls under the hard usage to which the case is subjected in transityand these wires serve to flexibly connect the rear edge of the coverto the upper edge of the rear wall, as at 13; the-wires, 'at these points, functioning in 'a' manner approaching the action of hinges so that the cover may be swung upwardly or downwardly over the open upper end of the body portion of the case.

'As stated, these wires are fastened to the outer sides of all the walls of the case and theytherefore extend across the cover. The wires are'of a length so that opposite ends thereof extend beyond the upper'front corner of the case when the cover is swung down into closed position. Otherwise expressed, one end of each Wire extends in a free or-loose manner outwardly-beyond the front edge of the cover and the other end 'in a similar manner upwardly beyond the upper edge of the front wall of the case.

1 In shipping cases in which encompassing securing elements are depended upon for protection andstrength, one such element is: arranged as close as possible to each of the case, and one or more, depending on the length of the case,

'between such end securing elements;

" After packing a case provid ed withsuch encompassing elements, according to my invention, the

"cover is lowered to close 'the'upper'open end of are therefore concealed and protected so that .theyvwill not be broken away; moreover, they add no projecting parts to the securing element.

'- When a case so shipped is received, the contents may beremoved in whole or part after shearing, shipping, or otherwise severing the twisted portions of the wires.

,Whenitjs, desiredto reship the case after packing or repacking the same, it is simply necessary to twist the two unused ends together of the other wire of each pair; after which the ends of the wires-of each'pair-will-appear as shown at 16, Fig. 1. The case will lee-fully as secure for reshipment, as it was-during its-first shipment.

-It is apparent, thatthe wires-first used, butunused during reshipment, have no projecting parts when the ends of the other wires are twistedtogether, preparatory-to reshipping the case;

It will also be apparent, that if'the case-is-intended for a number of reshipments, three or more wires can be assembledinthe-manner described to form each encompassing securingelement, and each of the staples used will embrace all the wires of each securing element.

While I have shown staples to fasten the bands or wires in place, other fastening devices suitable-for the purpose may be used.

'I-Iaving thusdescribed my invention, what I claim is:

1. Securing means for a shipping case, comprising two wires encircling said case-withfree 191'5 ends adapted to be successively twisted together for locking'said case, the ends 'of oneof said wires being adapted to "be twisted for the initial shipment of the case and to be clipped-beyond the twisted portions thereof for opening said case, and the ends of the other wire being adapted to be twisted together after clipping said firstmentioned ends for reshipment -of the case,- and staples encompassing said wires and driven-into the case, each staple being'commonto both wires and both wires serving to firmly securethe-individual' elements of the case t tog ether '7 2. Securingmeans'for a shippingpase, comprising wiresarranged in pairs and spaced apart, each pair'of wires'encompassin g the casewith free ends adapted to be successivelytwi sted together for lockingsaid case, the ends of one wire of'each pair being adapted to be twisted for the initial shipment of the case and to'be clipped beyond the twisted port-ions thereof' for opening said-cas e and the ends of the other wire being adapte d t o be twisted together afterclipping said first me n tioned ends for re-shipment of the case, "staples encompassing each pair of said wires and driven into the case, each staple being common to both wires of each pair' and both wires serving to f rmly secure the individual elements of the casetolg eth er in a secure manner. i 3 Securing means for ashipping' case, eompr si wo Wi n i l ng saidcase, the ends ,of

of S i i s b es w s d were ai s 'iii f I Q i th r W r in se ih wehen opening in said case, said twisted ends'being adapted -to 'beclipped away for opening said case and. the inserted ends of said wiresbeing adapted said cover, said wires serving to flexibly connect said cover at one edge thereof to the body portion of the case and to connect the individual elements of the body portion and said cover securely together, said wires having free ends extending beyond the opposite edge of said cover and adapted to be successively twisted for shipment and re-shipment of the case.

KARL F. w; KEMPF. 

